TIPS NewsletterTIPS Newsletter
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 2000 01:02:27 -0800
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Common Sense Managing TIPS Newsletter
March 26, 2000
Bill Werst, Editor
Common Sense Managing TIPS Vision: To establish Growth Associates as your primary source of practical proven information on how to build and maintain a solid organization capable of supporting outstanding customer service, customer satisfaction, and continuous quality improvement.
Part of our vision implementation is to use the Common Sense Managing book, TIPS newsletter, and www. growthassociates.org web site information to build rapport and trust with you so that you consider GA first when you need training and consulting services.
Table of contents:
Because I’m Paying You, That’s Why! -- Common Sense Managing Tip of the Week
What Would John Do? — True story of motivating vision
Major Announcement NOW
Reader Survey on Rewards Reminder
Contest Reminder
Add me's
Speaking of Books
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Because I’m Paying You, That’s Why!
Engaging peoples’ minds as well as their bodies is a prerequisite to creating a motivating work environment. "Because I’m paying you to do it, that’s why!" is not an explanation that will capture peoples’ minds and spirits. Explaining Why we are asking for their help, in terms that are honest and significant to them, is crucial to work environment success. The following are several examples of Common Sense Managers’ Why explanations.
Why are we doing this? Because, we need to:
* Become customer driven rather than activity driven
* Handle upset customers right on the spot
* Do it right the first time
* Design equipment so that field service routines are easy to perform
* Make it easy to purchase our products
Does your staff know WHY what they are doing is important?
If you answered yes, is it because you told them or because they can see how their work ties directly to action plans that fulfill objectives which satisfy goals, and, ultimately, accomplish the vision?
NOTE: If you answered no, start including your people in the planning process so they can see WHY what they’re being asked to do is important. WHY explanations become personal drivers rather than just slogans when people understand and accept the importance of their contributions.
Look at the above five sample WHY explanations. Reflect on how powerful they are in a nicely typed and framed list posted on the wall. Now reflect on how powerful they could be if the people responsible for making them happen actually understood, accepted, and believed them.
This Common Sense Managing Tip is from the Motivation section of Common Sense Managing: Simple Ideas That Produce Results. The book is immediately available at http://www.growthassociates.org or amazon.com.
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What Would John Do?
Just how important is a living vision for your organization? Critical if you’re John Rice, General Manager of Sierra-At-Tahoe ski resort, and hospitalized in the middle of your season.
While hospitalized with a six week illness, John received a call from Marketing Director Tracy Owen Chapman updating him on the increasing number of employee performance issues. John’s response was to refer to the resort’s Vision and supporting Values. The Value that fit this situation was that "People are Important" and with that John recommended to "Err on the side of the employee."
Tracy shared this message with other top managers and the word rapidly spread: When in doubt, look to our Core Values and Vision for the answers. When facing a difficult customer, employee, or media situation, the mantra throughout the resort became: "What would John do?"
Consequently, while flat on his back in a hospital in San Francisco, John was able to positively influence the decisions and actions of his organization because of the living vision he had created with his management team.
How well would your operation run if you were away from it for a week?
Would your people continue to perform at the same level?
Do they have the management tools to support their efforts?
Are you the type of leader that employees would ask the question "What would ______ do?"
Now extend that time for up to six weeks and answer the same questions.
NOTE: Sierra-At-Tahoe’s Vision statement is not something whipped up one afternoon and posted on the wall. The managers directly participate in creating, revising, defining, and implementing the Vision. It is a long term strategy that has been very effective in keeping Sierra-At-Tahoe people focused and driven along the same goal lines.
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Major Announcement NOW
Last week I told you about it. We tested it this week and now it’s ready. The new interaction site at http://www.egroups.com/list/commonsensemanaging.
Join now and receive answers to your most pressing concerns from peers and top professionals. Expand your professional network while staying up on the latest organizational development actions.
To maximize the quality of responses I am recruiting members of Common Sense Managing’s editorial board to also participate. They include past Board members and Presidents of International Customer Service Association and HR Directors, General Managers, VP’s of Operations, Customer and Field Service Directors, and Personal Coaches.
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to share and receive responses to your most pressing management issues. Build your professional network.
Subscribe free at http://www.egroups.com/list/commonsensemanaging or go to the Casino page at http://www.growthassociates.org and us the auto button.
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Resource Page Additions
Resources included here and at our web site are listed because I have used or reviewed their services and found them to be of value. Two new additions this week include:
Clickey is a new search engine that helps end users find business information more quickly and efficiently by returning only top-level domain names - a key destination for users seeking business information. http://www.clickey.com
Gately Consulting provides on-line and other assessments to enable you to hire the right person for the right job at the right time . . . the first time. Also over 200 articles and commentaries for executives. http://www.gatelyconsulting.com
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Reader Survey on Rewards Reminder
Please email your answers to the following two questions to bill@growthassociates.org. I will compile your responses and share the results in a future newsletter. Because it will become a list, I may not include the author's name. However, just in case, let me know whether or not I have permission to use your name.
What rewards have you used that were well received by your people?
Have you used any rewards that seemed to backfire? Why did they seem to fail?
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Contest Reminder
Only ONE week left to submit your original humorous customer communications stories for March. Please email me your favorite experience. I will include the best stories in future newsletters. If your story is used you will receive a complementary copy of Common Sense Managing.
The winning story will be published in the April 2nd TIPS newsletter. The winner receives a complementary copy of Common Sense Managing.
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Add me's
Know someone who could benefit from a little additional commonsense? You can simply email their names and addresses to bill@growthassociates. You may want additional people in leadership positions throughout your organization to receive the Common Sense Managing TIPS newsletter. There is no limit to the number of names you may add. It's free.
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Speaking of Books
All of the Tips you've been receiving are excerpted from Common Sense Managing, Simple Actions That Produce Results. You can go right to the source and order your copy for $29.95 plus $3.50 S&H by clicking on the following link: http://www.growthassociates.org/CSM/order.htm
Know a peer or boss who might benefit from a little more common sense? We will ship a copy of Common Sense Managing anonymously. Order by sending me an email at bill@growthassociates.org.
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Have a great week - you've already started it with a little extra common sense.
Bill Werst
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